Carton



April 28, 1959 H. N. HOVLAND 2,884,178

7 CARTON Filed March 7, 1957 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HOWARD N. HOVLAND United States Patent CARTON Howard N. Hovland, Appleton, Wis., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Can Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 7, 1957, Serial No. 644,628

1 Claim. (Cl. 229-17 This invention relatesv to a carton particularly adapted to the dispensing of powdered or granular products, for example sugar or the like, and definesa carton of this nature which can be manufactured with a minimum of carton material to provide, dispensing means with a wide range of adaptability. The objects and advantages are. specifically detailed in the following description, preferred embodiments of which are set forth in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a plan view of a blank incorporating the features of this invention,

Figure 2 is a perspective view, partially cut away, of the initial stage in the erection of a carton from the blank of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a perspective view, similar to Figure 2, showing a further stage of erection,

Figure 4 is a perspective. view, similar to Figure 3, of the blank of Figure 1 setup in finished carton form,

Figure 5 is a perspective view, similar to Figure 4, showing the dispensing means in partially open condition,

Figure 6 is a perspective view, similar to Figure 5, showing the dispensing means in fully open condition,

Figure 7 is a plan view similar to Figure 1, but partially cut away, showing a modified form of the invention, and

Figure 8 is a plan view similar to Figure 7, showing a further modified form of the invention.

Referring first to Figure 1, the carton of this invention is formed from an integral blank, preferably of paperboard or similar material, suitably cut and scored to provide hingedly connected walls, flaps and panels. The blank includes side walls 1 and 2, end walls 3 and 4 and glue panel 5 hinged together along score lines 6, 7, 8 and 9. Top and bottom side wall closure flaps 10, 11, 12 and 13 are hinged to the top and bottom edges of side walls 1 and 2 along hinge score lines 14, 15, 16 and 17. Top and bottom end Wall closure flaps 18, 19, 20 and 21 are hinged to end walls 3 and 4 along hinge score lines 22, 23, 24 and 25. Adjoining side edges of the top and bottom closure flaps are defined and the flaps separated from each other by but lines 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31.

Located within closure flap 11 is an openable panel portion 40 defined by perforation lines 41 and 42 lying substantially parallel to hinge and by hinged score lines 43 and 44, score 43 lying in the line of and interrupting cut line 27 and score 44 lying substantially parallel thereto. Located within closure flap 18 is an openable panel portion 45. defined by score line 43, cut line 46 substantially parallel thereto and cut lines 47 and 48 substantially parallel to hinge connection 22. Panel portion 45 has a hinge score 49 therein to define a remote portion 50 thereof for a purpose to be described. It will be seen that cuts 47 and 48 are respectively continuations of perforations 41 and 42, and that panel portions 40 and 45 constitute an integral part of the blank hinged Patented Apr. 28,. 19.59-

ice

to flap 11 along scorexline 44 and releasably attached to flap 11 along perforation lines 41 and, 42.

Located within closure. panel 101s an openable panel portion '51 defined by perforation lines 52. and 53 substantially parallel to hinge 14, cut linev 26. and hinge; score 54 substantially parallel tocut line 26. A weakened portion 55 may be defined in end wall 3v by cutscore. lines 56, 57 and 58 cutting into only the exterior surface portion of wall 3, for apurpose. to be later described.

Still referring to Figure 1, the invention here involved. resides in the placement and dimensioning of panel portions 40, 45 and 51 to provide an opening in the carton, and to provide a dispensing opening of optimum ca pacity, adapted to infinite variation in size and location subject only to limitations imposed by the. overall dimensions of the carton. Upon this proper placement and dimensioning will depend the overlapping of the. various openable portions necessary to provide the dispensing means.

Referring also to Figures 2, 3 and 4, they carton is formed from the blankv of Figure l by folding the, blank so that side walls 1 and 2 are perpendicular to end walls 3 and 4, and suitably adhering glue panel 5 to side wall 1 adjacent the side edge opposite hinge score6. Bottom closure flaps 12, 13, 20 and 21 are then folded perpendicularly to the walls and adhered together in any conventional manner which need not be detailed, to thus close the bottomof the carton. The top of the carton is closed by first infolding top end wall closure flaps 18 and 19 perpendicular to the walls, then similarly infolding top side wall closure flap 11, and finally infolding thereover closure flap 10, with the superposed flaps being adhered to those immediately thereunder, in conventional manner.

It will be clear that openable portion 45 is essentially an appendage to flap 11 formed from the material of flap 18. Consequently, when the above top closure is made, portion 45 will extend from the edge 27 of flap 11, and it is then folded over against the exterior surface of end wall 3 at the area of weakened portion 55, and except in the area of remote portion 50 is adhered to such exterior surface. Area 55 should substantially coincide in dimension with the area of portion 45 minus the remote portion 50. Referring to Figure 4, it will be seen that the construction thus described provides an effective and substantially siftproof closure of the top of the carton.

Referring also to Figure 5, the dispensing means is utilized by grasping the remote portion 50, which is not adhered to wall 3 and which may be easily grasped by virtue of binge score line 49. A lifting force applied to portion 50 will result in rupture of the exterior surface of end wall 3 at the area 55, thus releasing panel portion 45. Continued upward pressure will readily rupture panel 11 along weakened perforation lines 41 and 42, and rupture panel 10 along perforation lines 52 and 53, thus providing a dispensing opening 60 through top flaps 10, 11 and 18, as seen in Figure 6.

It is obvious that to achieve any type of dispensing opening, and particularly to achieve one of maximum utility, the openable portions 40, 45 and 51 must be dimensioned and placed so that when the portions are ruptured away from the flaps in which-they are formed a continuous opening through the top end closure of the carton will result. The requirements of this purpose will now be described.

Referring again to Figure 1, perforation line 42 is spaced from hinge score line 15 by a distance a, and perforation line 41 by an additional distance b. Score line 43 is located in the line of side edge 27, and hinge score line 44 is spaced therefrom by a distance 0. Cut line 48 is spaced from hinge score line 22 by a distance d and out line 47 is further spaced therefrom by a distance e. Cut line 46 is spaced from side edge 27 by a distance f. End wall 3 has a width of dimension g. Perforation line 53 is spaced from hinge score line 14 by *a distance m and perforation line 52 by a further distance n. Hinge score line 54 is spaced from side edge 26 by a distance 0.

Y In order to obtain a pouring opening 60 of square form with side dimensions b, certain relative dimensions of the openable elements are required. In determining these dimensions, it should be borne in mind that the lateral dimensions of the openable portions in flaps and 11 correspond to longitudinal dimensions of the openable portion in flap 18, while the longitudinal dimensions in flaps 10 and 11 correspond to the lateral dimensions in 18, as a result of flaps 10 and 11 being superposed over flap 18 in a position 90 from that in which the blank is originally made. Specifically, the various dimensions must have the following relation:

With assumed dimensions a, b and c, fga+b means equal to or greater than) ca+b ngb mg(a+b) means equal to or less than) (f Either m-l-n or a=g- (f-e) oga-f-b And to obtain a dispensing opening 60 of even the smallest dimensions and irregular form,

The above relationships are premised upon an assumption that there is no loss of dimension in the carton in the forming process from flat blank as in Figure 1 to finished carton as in Figure 4. This assumption of course does not hold true completely, but obvious allowance for bending radii and the like will be necessary, in the manner well known to those skilled in this field. Another premise is that for the formation of panel portion 45, cut lines 47 and 48 are extensions of perforation lines 41 and 42.

With the proportions as above set forth, there is obtained a carton with a square dispensing opening of dimension equal to the least dimension of the openable portions provided in the closure flaps, and this dispensing opening is provided in a one piece carton blank from which it is completely unnecessary to separate any broke carton material. Thus the greatest economy of manufacture is achieved along with a dispensing opening of greatest dimension.

Referring also to Figure 7 it is seen that the proportions specified above are equally applicable to a construction wherein the dispensing opening will appear in a different portion of the top carton closure. In this particular modification it is obvious that the opening will appear through flap 18 in the very corner of that flap adjacent walls 2 and 3, the opening again being square and of dimension b. In the construction of Figure 7 no tab such as 50 (Figure 1) has been provided, since this tab portion is not an essential element in my invention. A carton would be formed from the blank the essentials of which are disclosed in Figure 7 in precisely the same fashion as previously described, with a result difierent only in that the dispensing opening is located at the conjuncture of a side and end wall of the carton. It will be observed that dimensions a and d are zero, while n in effect becomes infinite due to extension of portion 51a to the boundary of flap 10. In this varia- 4 tion of the invention, the dispensing means may be reclosed by tucking panel 45a within the dispensing opening to lie interiorly of end wall 3, panel portions 40a and 51a, which remain adhered together, being pressed downwardly until they lie in approximately the original portion which is exemplified in Figure 4 for the first modification described above.

Figure 8 discloses essentials of a blank for a further variation in placement of the dispensing opening, based upon the above proportions. It is clear that the dispensing opening will appear immediately adjacent hinge line 14a, and will be spaced from score line 22 by distance d. The opening will be of dimension od parallel to hinge 14a, and of dimension ga parallel to hinge 22.

From the above description it is seen that this invention provides for the lay-out of a carton with a dispensing opening of maximum dimension, which can be placed in a wide variety of positions in the top of the carton and with a construction of maximum simplicity and facility of manufacture. Obvious departures from the description above can readily be made 'without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it is to be understood that no limitations upon the invention are intended except as specifically set forth in the appended claim.

I claim:

A substantially rectangular unitary paperboard blank adapted for forming a carton, the blank including alternate pairs of side and end walls defined from each other by hinge score lines and side and end wall closure flaps connected to the top and bottom end edges of said walls along hinge score lines, the closure flaps being separated from each other by cut lines and adapted to close the ends of a carton formed from said blank, a blank further including a first pair of spaced perforation lines extending into one of the top side wall flaps from a side edge thereof and situated substantially parallel to the hinge connection of said flap to a side wall, said perforation lines defining an openable panel in said one top side wall flap, cut lines extending into the top end wall flap adjacent said side edge, said out lines comp-rising extensions of said perforation lines and extending into said end wall flap a distance at least equal to the distance from the hinge connection of said one top side wall flap to the one of said first pair of perforation lines most remote from said hinge connection, a out line joining the ends of the last-mentioned cut lines remote from said side wall flap and together therewith defining an openable panel in said end wall flap integral with the first-mentioned openable panel, a second pair of spaced perforation lines extending into the other of the top side wall flaps from its side edge adjacent said top end wall flap a distance at least equal to the length of said first pair of perforation lines, one of said second pair of perforation lines being spaced from the hinge connection of said other top side wall flap to a side wall by a distance at least equal to the difference between the width of an end wall and the distance from the hinge connection of said one top side wall flap to the one of said first pair of perforation lines closest to that hinge connection, and the other of the second pair of perforation lines being spaced from the hinge connection of said other top side wall flap to a side wall by a distance at most equal to the difference between the Width of an end wall and the distance from the hinge connection of said one top side wall flap to the one of said first pair of perforation lines most remote from that hinge connection.

Trost Apr. 14, 1931 Keller v Feb. 8, 1938 

